While Anaxa was graduating at lightning speed, Hyacine was still attending classes peacefully. She sat with her hands resting on the desk, holding a book, her small legs swinging rhythmically beneath. Her head tilted upward as she gazed at the blackboard ahead, appearing to listen attentively.
In reality, her mind had long since drifted off, pondering the profound philosophical question of "What should I eat for lunch today?"
It had to be said, attending school occasionally was actually quite enjoyable. During her school years, she had always longed to graduate quickly, but after graduation, she found herself nostalgic for her childhood school days.
Or, to be more precise, she missed the daily banter and laughter with friends during those school days. Moreover, while Hyacine was attending school now, she didn't actually need to study at all. She had already mastered all the material the teachers covered, and there was no such thing as "homework" here.
So, wasn't attending school now just the perfect scenario—stripped of all the unpleasant aspects, leaving only the fun parts?
Before long, the class ended, and it was lunchtime. Hyacine snapped back to attention and immediately turned to Pela beside her. "Pela, Pela~ Any more recommendations for delicious local specialties?"
Hearing this, Pela wore a helpless expression. "Hyacine, you weren't thinking about this the whole class, were you? The material we covered was actually quite important."
Hyacine replied, "Ah, Professor Anaxa already taught me all this. I know it by heart, so I didn't feel like listening to it a second time."
"I see," Pela said. "But your teacher is incredible! Graduating twice in just two days and becoming a full-fledged Transmutation Tower Wizard right away!"
The outrageous news had already spread throughout the Arcane Federation's capital. As soon as class ended, not just Hyacine and Pela, but the entire class was buzzing about it.
"Did you hear? Someone tried to take Anaxagoras as their apprentice, but he verbally crushed them so hard they started foaming at the mouth and passed out right on the spot!"
"Pfft, that's old news! Rumor has it that just yesterday, Anaxagoras single-handedly out-argued ten seasoned Old Wizards from the Transmutation Tower, and none of them survived the debate!"
"Wait, is that even true? He's way too OP!"
"And that's not all! I heard he even cursed out the Headmaster and Vice-Principal! But the Headmaster didn't get angry at all—he actually personally awarded him the Gold-tier Wizard's Medal!"
"Whoa?! He looks so refined, but he's actually that fierce? I hope he doesn't become my teacher after I graduate."
"You're getting ahead of yourself, buddy. You're acting like you're the one who's picky! He's the one who might reject you. If it were me, I'd be willing to let him curse me out every day just to have him take me on as an apprentice!"
Time flowed on. Hyacine followed Pela, a local student, for a decent lunch. Instead of returning to the classroom afterward, they headed straight to a massive drill field in the Basic Campus for an unusually scheduled afternoon practical lesson.
The bespectacled teacher stood before the assembled students, holding a Crystal Ball. "Next, everyone will line up in an orderly fashion and touch this Crystal Ball. It will measure your Magic Power, which will determine your future spellcasting style."
Those with abundant Magic Power could naturally wield magic more recklessly, while those with less could still excel by carefully conserving their energy and mastering a repertoire of small spells for crowd control.
The moment the Teacher finished speaking, Hyacine experienced an intense sense of déjà vu. Isn't this the classic "protagonist getting to show off" trope from otherworld anime?
The typical scenario goes like this: the protagonist's initial assessment reveals abysmal talent, earning them scorn from the crowd. Then, they stage a spectacular comeback, delivering a satisfying "face-slapping" moment. It's practically a cliché.
But Hyacine had only come to experience ordinary school life. She had no intention of showing off or proving anyone wrong. If her test results were just average, she would be perfectly content.
Just as she was thinking this, the Teacher turned to her and said, "Very well, Hyacine. You'll be first. Please come forward."
Hyacine's expression froze. Huh?
Oh no, I might have overdone the "model student" act! She had always been quiet and attentive in class (at least outwardly), and whenever called upon, she answered questions fluently.
Combined with her undeniably adorable appearance, it was inevitable that the Teacher would favor her. Now, he was naturally calling on her first to demonstrate for the class. But the problem was, how could she know what the average level was if she went first?
Left with no choice, Hyacine gave a small nod and steeled herself to approach the Crystal Ball. The teacher deliberately lowered his voice, speaking gently, "It's very simple. Just place your hand on the sphere, and it will detect the approximate amount of Magic Power within your body. The margin of error is no more than five percent."
"This is my masterpiece! None of the other teachers have such a fine device. To measure a student's Magic Power, they'd likely have them cast spells repeatedly until their energy is completely exhausted—and even then, the results would be highly inaccurate!"
Hyacine took a deep breath and slowly placed her hand on the Crystal Ball. I didn't want to play the fool and surprise everyone later, she thought, but I genuinely don't know what the average level is. It's best to feign weakness for now.
Being the strongest in the class versus being the weakest? The former will definitely have more responsibilities. When the sports day or other class events come around, they'll always ask the strongest to step up. How troublesome! Who wouldn't rather sit in the stands, snacking and watching the show?
Hyacine possessed no innate magic power. She relied solely on the bracelet crafted by Anaxa to convert tiny slivers of her divine power into magic.
The next moment, with a series of cracks, the Crystal Ball—which the Teacher had been praising for its unparalleled accuracy and power—suddenly spiderwebbed with cracks.
The Teacher froze, stuttering, "Ah... ah?"
Hyacine herself was stunned. She had been exerting maximum effort to "hold back," converting only the tiniest sliver of divine power. How could this thing have shattered?
However, the Teacher recovered swiftly. He furrowed his brow, adopting a grave tone. "Oh dear, I seem to have grabbed the wrong one. This doesn't appear to be the Crystal Ball for measuring magic power after all!"
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem... Well, never mind that. Let's revert to the old-fashioned method. Everyone, keep casting spells until your magic power is completely exhausted. That way, I can assess your capacity."
"This method isn't actually that inaccurate, and classics endure for a reason!"